Method of shaping and seaming garments



J. BERGER.

METHOD OF SHAPING AND SEAMING GARMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26,1918- I 1 $86,560., Patented Aug. 9, 19211.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

L BERGER.

1,386,680 atentedAug. 9, 1921. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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METHOD OF SHAPING AND SEAMI-NG GARMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, L918.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- dilemmas E lmmtoz ao-snri-r BERGER, on Union, nnw Yonir, ASSIGNGR ro Union sPncrAL nnonmn COMPANY, or onioneo, ILLINOIS, A conronnrron or ILLINOIS,

IVIETI-IOD OF SHAPING AND SEAIVIING GARMENTS.

Application filed. June 26,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn BERGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Utica, in the county of Oneida, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Shaping and Scanning Garments, of which the following is a description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in shaping and seaming garments, and more particularly to a method of shaping and seaming, which includes the cutting of the fabric and subsequently joining the cut edges by a flat seam, which preferably covers the raw edges of the fabric sections which have been out.

An object of the invention is to provide a method of shaping and seaming garments, wherein the shaping of the garment may be accomplished simultaneously with the joining of the fabric edges to form a flat seam.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method of the above character,

wherein the resulting cut edges in the shaping of the garment are overlapped and joined and covered by stitching.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a method which contemplates the beginning of the cutting of the fabric sections to shape the garment at a point within the marginal edges of the fabric sections forming the garment.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully described. I

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one way of carrying out my improved method, Figure 1 is a view showing more or less diagrammatically, and in top plan, a presser foot, trimming blades, folding fingers and a garment in the process of being shaped and the cut edges joined;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the presser foot showing the relation of the folding fingers to the presser foot, the needles and the trimming blades Fig. 3 is a v1ew, showing more or less diagrammatically and in vertical section, the presser foot,the trimming blades and the fabric section being shaped Fig. 4: is a sectional view showing the position of the folding finger when the fab- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 9, 1921.

1918. Serial No. 242,089.

ric is passing through before being cut to shape the same;

Fig. 5 is a similar view, but showing the beginning of the bending of the fabric in order to bring the same into the range of the trimming members;

Fig. 6 is a similar view, but showing the beginning of the cutting operation to shape the fabric or garment, the folding finger having entered between the cut edges and overlapped the same;

Fig. 7 is a view, showing more or less diagrammatically and in perspective, the relation of the folding finger to the trimmer and the fabric section just after the folding finger has entered the slit formed by the trimming members and overlapped the edges;

Fig. 8 is a similar view, withthe presser foot omitted, but showing the cutting action as having continuedfor some time and the resulting shaping of the strip being cut;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view, showing a section of fabric with a portion cut out of the same for the shaping of the section;

Fig. 10 is a similar view, but showing the edges drawn together, overlapped, joined and covered and the resulting shaping of the section;

Fig. 11 is a view more or less diagram'-,

of the body fabric and joining the same by stitching, all of which is accomplished simultaneously and in the sameoperation. The cut edges are preferably overlapped in order to make a strong and durable seam and the stitching mechanism is preferably of a character to join the overlapped cut edges and cover the out edges.

Referring to the drawings, I have shown certain trimming and stitching devices in a sewing machine which may be used for carrying out my improved method. These devices are illustrated in detail in my prior needles 1, 2 and 3, which form three parallel lines of stitches-the needle threads being indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 11, at 4:, 5 and 6, respectively. These lines of needle loops are joined by a cross thread on the up per face of the fabric, which is indicated at 0, and they are joined by a looper thread on the under face of the fabric, which is indicated at Z. This is one form of covering stitches, which may be used in carrying out mymethod. The presser foot has a channel 7 extending from the extreme front end thereof rearwardly in the line of feed and terminating directly in front of the opening in the presser foot for the needles. Associated with the presscr foot is a trimming mechanism which includes a fixed trimming blade 8 and a movable trimming blade 9. These trimming blades are horizontally disposed and are located near the rear end of the guiding channel 7, so as to trim or out the section of fabric which is lifted vertically through the guiding channel 7 and into range of the cutting devices. The presser foot is formed with a folding finger 10 and a cooperating auxiliary folding finger 11.

This folding finger .10 is located between the trimming members and the needles and the purpose thereof is to fold one edge of the fabric section underneath the other and bring about an overlapping of the cut edges of the fabric sections, as fully described in my prior patent. The cut edges are overlapped in such a way that the center needle 2 preferably passes through the overlapped edges, while the needles 1 and 3 pass respectively, just outside of the cut edges, so that the cross thread and the looper thread will completely cover these cutedges of the fabric sections. 7

In Fig. 9 of the drawings, I have shown a fabric section,indicated at F,which it is desired to shape. This may be accomplished by cutting out a portion F extending from a point 7 to a point f. It will readily be seenthat when a portion of the shape illustrated is cut out of the fabric section, if the edges are then brought together and stitched, it will result in a drawing in of the fabric at the part out, thus shaping the same. In Fig. 10,I haveshown the edges brought together and stitched. The shaping of the section extends from the line 00-00 to the line y'y. In Fig. 8, I have shown the fabric section F as passing through the sewing machine. The trimming blades operate to cut out a portion shaped similar to F in Fig. 9. The folding fingers 10 and 11 overlap the cut edges simultaneously with the cutting out of this strip to shape the garment or fabric section and the stitching mechanism joins the overlapped edges and covers the same- In carrying out this method, a section of fabric passes underneath the presser foot, and the operator bends a portion of the body fabric out of the normal. plane thereof. As soon as the fabric is slightly bent outof the plane thereof, it will be raised into the guiding channel 7 and as soon as this portion is raised sufficiently to come into the range of the trimming members .8 and 9, then the cutting of the fabric section begins. This initial cutting of the fabric section starts within the marginal edges of the fabric sections.

As soon as the trimming members begin the severing of the fabric sections, the underfolding finger enters into the slit so formed, while the upper folding finger presses down the upper cut edge and thus the edges are overlapped. It will be noted that these horizontal trimmers open the fabric for the entrance of the folding finger, which accomplishes the overlapping of the cut edges and thus the operation of shaping the garment may be started within the marginal edges thereof. This is essential in order that my improved method of shaping and seaming may be used effectively in the forming of garments, such as ladies vests, and

the like. The first lift of the fabric into the guiding channel forms a slight fold or rib, as indicated in Fig. 5, and then the garment ,is cut and the edges overlapped, as indicated in Figs. 3, 6 and 7.. The shaping of the garment depends upon the size and the shape of the section which is removed from the garment by thetrimming members and this depends upon the height or. distance vertically which the operator lifts theibent section of the garment through the guiding channel 7. When itisdesired to cause the shaping of the fabric section to c'ease,then this bent portion is gradually loweredand finally released entirely, so that the fabric passes underneath the foot. This results in the trimming blades gradually approaching .the extreme upper end of the bent portion and finally passing over the top thereof, ceasing their cutting action.

In Fig. 12 of the drawing, I have shown a blank for forming a ladys vest, which blank is indicated at B in. the drawings. It is understood that these blanks are tubular in shape. The neck. portion, indicated at'N is out out and then the'garment without further cutting is passed through a sewing machine of the character shown in myprior patent, the body fabric being bentand raised into the guiding channel of the presser foot,

so "that the cutting action begins at a, eX-

tending along the broken line at the left of the figure, and terminates at a. On the other side of the blank, the garment is again shaped by cutting out a section on the broken line bb'. Simultaneously withthe cutting out of these sections, the edges are brought together and joined so as to form a fiat seam,

and this is preferably accomplished by overlapping the edges and by stitching the same with the stitching mechanism which covers and conceals the cut edges.

It will be obvious that the steps in my improved method may be varied Within certain limits and that the mechanism for carrying out certain of the steps in the method may be greatly varied without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. The method of shaping and seaming garments consisting in bending a portion of the body fabric out of the normal plane thereof, cutting said bent portion along a desired line to remove a section therefrom for giving the desired shape to the garment, and overlapping the cut edge portions of the body fabric, andjoining the same by stitching as the cutting and shaping proceeds.

2. A method of shaping and seaming garments consisting of bending a portion of the body fabric within the marginal edges of the garment out of the normal plane thereof, cutting said bent portion at a point beginning within the marginal edges and along a desired line for giving the desired shape to the garment, and joining and covering the out edges by stitching as the cutting and shaping proceeds.

3. The method of shaping and seaming garments consisting in bending a portion of the body fabric out of the normal plane thereof within the marginal edges of the garment, out of the normal plane thereof, cutting said bent portion at a point beginning within the marginal edges and terminating at a point within the marginal edges of the garment, and extending along a desired line for giving the desired shape to the garment, overlapping the cut edge portions of the body fabric, and joining and covering the same by stitching as the cutting and shaping proceeds.

In testimony whereof, I aflixmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH BERGER.

Witnesses A. J. BAEOHLE, OSCAR FEYDER. 

